Gligar Analysis: http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/gligar
Status: INCOMPLETE (needs proofreading)
[Overview]
<p>Gligar is considered to be one of the most dangerous Pokemon in the current metagame currently for a few reasons. It has a solid offensive and defensive typing, a wide movepool that allows sets to be easily be customized, and reaches the 19 speed mark, the second highest without boosts in the metagame. It is also bulky enough to take some hits and has the ability to run a plethora of different sets. So why isn’t he an Uber Little Cupper? Well for starters he is weak to two of the most common types: Water and Ice, both of which have strong priority users. He also has quite a few checks and counters. That isn’t to say he can’t play around them, but he makes it difficult for him to sweep teams effectively. Once these said Pokemon are gone however, it is easy for Gligar to pick teams apart. </p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: U-turn
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Aqua Tail / Night Slash
move 4: Aerial Ace / Stone Edge
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Sand Veil
nature: Adamant
EVs: 236 Atk / 236 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>One of more common and scarier sets that Gligar can run is the Choice Scarf which boosts his already impressive Speed to incredible heights. The idea is simply: scout with U-turn to see what your opponent brings in to counter Gligar and wear it down. Earthquake will be your bread and butter move once all Flying and Levitating pokes have been removed. Aqua Tail helps you get rid of other Gligar and Bronzor who can potentially wall you. Night Slash hits bulky ghosts like Duskull, but be weary that you’ll need some residual damage to KO it, otherwise its Ice Beam will OHKO you back.</p>
<p>The set can be customized depending on your team. Stone Edge allows you to hit Mantyke and Paras, Mantyke being the more annoying since it is immune to Earthquake and can KO back with Hydro Pump and Ice Beam. However, Aqua Tail and Night Slash provide the greatest coverage.</p>
[Additional Comments]
<p>When using the set, use Gligar early in order to scout your opponents team. Once Gligar's checks and counters are gone, use Gligar to sweep. This set will force a lot of switches so the presence of Stealth Rock is encouraged to put some of Gligar counters like Duskull into KO range and to wear down potential counters switching in, the most notable being Snover.</p>
[SET]
name: Rock Polish Sweeper
move 1: Rock Polish
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Aqua Tail / Roost
item: Life Orb / Oran Berry
ability: Sand Veil
nature: Adamant
EVs: 156 HP / 76 Def / 236 Atk
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set aims at raising Gligar's speed to 30 after a Rock Polish outrunning almost all Pokemon except Elekid, Diglett and Voltorb who all need to be holding a Choice Scarf with a positive Speed nature to even catch Gligar. This allows Gligar to become even bulkier by using the its usual Speed EVs and investing them into HP. Again, this Gligar is fairly easy to play. With the additional bulk, this Gligar can come in on such Pokemon like Croagunks without Ice Punch or other moves it resists. As it switches out, use Rock Polish and begin sweeping with your attacking moves. The only Pokemon that cause trouble for this set are priority using Ice- and Water-Pokemon that use priority, like Snover, Kabuto, or Carvanha. It is recommended to know your opponents team before you try and sweep it with Rock Polish. The difference between Life Orb and Oran Berry is a matter of preference. Life Orb adds a nice little boost and the recoil damage is usually inconsequential to Gligar, while Oran Berry makes sure that your Gligar stays in good health even if Priority users try to wear it down.</p>
[Additional Comments]
<p>Some players opt for Night Slash or Roost over in the last spot to hit bulky Ghosts like Duskull or attempt to tank Pokemon like Bronzor who usually wall Gligar. However, you then lose coverage on other Gligar that may switch in. This is usually the inferior choice.</p>
<p>Chinchou makes a good compliment to the set by taking both Ice- and Water-type attacks and scaring potential counters with STAB Hydro Pumps, Thunderbolts and Thunder Wave to cripple faster sweepers. It should be fairly obvious if your opponent is running priority so there is often little risk to switch in Chinchou to take the reduced damage hit.</p>
[SET]
name: Swords Dance Sweeper
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Aqua Tail / Quick Attack
item: Oran Berry / Life Orb
ability: Sand Veil
nature: Jolly
EVs: 236 Atk / 236 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This is Gligar's most devastating set if played correctly. Like the Rock Polish set, come in on something that you scare off, set-up and sweep. Earthquake and Stone Edge provide excellent coverage while Aqua Tail OHKOs any Gligar thinking they can wall you. The only change between this set and the Rock Polish set is that you can run Quick Attack to beat frail Choice Scarfers or priority users like Croagunk and Houndour that try and use Sucker Punch or Carvanha and Snover who will try and Aqua Jet and Ice Shard respectively. One of the downsides to using this set is that you know tie with all other 19 Spe Pokemon often leading to mixed results. Things like Staryu, Taillow, and other Gligar can force a speed tie and OHKO Gligar while Elekid will beat you 100% of the time as most run 20 Speed and carry Ice Punch. You also run the risk of losing to Choice Scarf Pokemon like Chinchou and Houndour who can OHKO you with powerful STAB moves. Just be weary and know your speed tiers when using this Gligar set.</p>
[Additional Comments]
<p>A simple solution if you are worried about Choice Scarfed Pokemon is to run Wynaut. It can usually take a hit as it switches in, use either Mirror Coat or Counter and kill it the Scarfed Pokemon effectively. Wynaut is also useful for Encoring Ground- and Electric-moves which give Gligar a chance to switch in freely, and Sword Dance.</P.
[SET]
name: Baton Passer
move 1: Swords Dance / Taunt
move 2: Rock Polish / Taunt
move 3: Baton Pass
move 4: Earthquake
item: Oran Berry
Ability: Sand Veil
Nature: Impish
EVs: 156 HP / 76 Def / 236 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Gligar makes one of the best Baton Passers in the metagame because of its Bulk and Speed. Along with its diverse movepool, Gligar can choose to pass Attack or Speed or both boosts to other Pokemon that need it. Taunt shuts down other stat uppers or other Taunting Pokemon (however those are rare) while Earthquake is if you need a strong attack. This set works quiet well if Gligar is behind Screens as he can easily get both a Rock Polish and a Swords Dance off and pass with ease. Bronzor makes a great companion as it can set up Screens fairly easily and resists Ice attacks. Rock Polish can fit easily over any of the other supporting moves so don't feel pressured to only pass Sword Dances.
[Additional Comments]
<p>Once you have your boosts, you need to decide what to pass to. Strong choices include Water Pokemon like Totodile and Carvanha would resist Ice attacks aimed at Gligar. They also both have strong priority moves which can easily devastate other Pokemon trying to revenge them. Aron is also a great receiver taking Ice attacks fairly easily and KOing a majority of the meta-game with a set of Earthquake, Head Smash, Iron Head and Superpower. Be wary though because things like Croagunk can end your sweeps prematurely. So either make sure to remove Croagunk or run Chople Berry with Aron.</p>
[SET]
name: 4 Attack + Life Orb
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Stone Edge / Aerial Ace
move 3: Aqua Tail
move 4: Night Slash / U-Turn / Substitute
item: Life Orb
Ability: Sand Veil
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 236 Atk / 236 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>A relatively under used set in the tier, but one that can easily devastate most of the metagame. Instead of focusing on boosting your stats and sometimes being forced out by priority, this set keeps the pressure on your opponents and acts similarly to Infernape in OU. Each move hits a counter of Gligar meaning that you never lack 4 move syndrome. Earthquake is your main STAB; Stone Edge hits Mantyke and Paras; Night Slash hits ghosts like Duskull; Aqua Tail hits other Gligar. U-Turn is another option that allows you to scout for incoming counters like Snover who is KO'd if Stealth Rock is on the field. This Gligar is mostly used as a Mid-Game threat that can often put significant damage on a few pokes quickly. The disadvantage to using this set is that you risk tying with other 19 Speed Pokemon like Staryu and Taillow which can OHKO. You also lose to Scarf Pokemon like Chinchou and Houndour who can OHKO you with powerful STAB moves.</p>
[Additional Comments]
<p>Other common sets that use Life Orb include Substitute / Earthquake / Aerial Ace / Aqua Tail. This set allows you to lure in opposing Snover that can easily switch in on Earthquakes, and OHKO back with Ice Shard. Substitute allows you to take the Ice Shard and OHKO back with STAB Aerial Ace. Substitute is also handy in out predicting Sucker Punch Pokemon giving you easily changes to set up Subs. The problem with running Sub with this set is that you may quickly get worn down which can cut back on your sweeping ability and the fact that you are forced to only run 3 attacks.</p>
[SET]
name: Sand Veil Abuse
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Roost
move 3: Earthquake / Aerial Ace
move 4: Toxic / Sand Attack / Swagger
item: Bright Powder
Ability: Sand Veil
Nature: Impish
EVs: 156 HP / 236 Def / 76 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Easily one of the most annoying sets in Little Cup due to a loop hole in the Evasion Clause. The set revolves around Sand Veil and Bright Powder which increase evasion to 28%. When you combine this with moves that lack 100% accuracy like Aqua Tail and Fire Blast, you have a fairly decent chance of not taking any damage at all. You'll need to have Hippopotas on your team to activate Sand, which is also a great Stealth Rock lead and the extra Sand Storm damage can rack up fairly quickly. After that, the set is simple. Stall out bulky Pokemon with Substitute, Sand Storm damage and Toxic. You will want to Substitute as possible as often to increase the likely hood of misses. Earthquake is recommended as a powerful STAB and to make sure you won't be completely defenseless vs Taunt Pokemon. The last move slot however comes to personal choice. Toxic is nice to hit Bulky Pokemon like Gligar and Duskull who can potential kill you. Sand Attack allows you to cause even more switches as Pokemon become virtually unable to hit you after a Sand Attack or two. Swagger is also another dangerous tool, but can often backfire. After a swagger, Sand Veil and Bright Powder evasion, the opposing Pokemon has a 36% chance of hitting you, but that also increases its Atk power considerably which gives other Gligar with Aqua Tail the chance to OHKO you. While the set is annoying, it isn't without its proper counters. Bronzor is the perfect counter to the set. It can come in freely being immune to Earthquake, you can't Toxic it, and it doesn't take any Sand Storm damage while it can whittle you down with Psychic or HP Ice. Another solid counter is Snover who can come in almost freely on either a Earthquake or a Sub, stop your Sand and quickly KO back with Ice Shard, but it doesn't like taking Stealth Rock damage or getting Toxiced. If you are deathly afraid of Snover you can run Aerial Ace to KO it behind a sub, but often times the power of Earthquake is better.</p>
[Additional Comments]
<p>The EV set is a combination of Bulk and reaching the 16 Speed mark. It is recommended because it avoids KOs from other Gligar's Aqua Tails easily and you still outrun 15 Speed Pokemon. However, other popular spread uses 236 HP / 236 Spe with Jolly or 156 HP / 76 Atk / 236 Spe with Jolly to force speed ties with other Pokemon, but it comes a personal preference if you want the extra bulk, or the ability to force speed ties with Pokes that can threaten you like Staryu and Taillow.</p>
[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Quick Attack / U-Turn
move 4: Aerial Ace / Stone Edge
item: Leftovers
Ability: Sand Veil
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 232 Atk / 232 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Gligar makes a great Stealth Rock speed because of its great speed and relative bulk.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>The best partner to compliment Gligar has to be Hippopotas who sets up Gligar's only use-able ability, Sand Veil. Hippopotas makes a great Stealth Rock lead and along with Sand Storm damage will generally help wear down Gligar counters. Unfortunately, both share a rather large weakness to Ice- and Water- attacks so you'll need other Pokemon to compliment them. Basically anything that resits Water- and Ice- moves makes a great switch-in for Gligar's counters is a good choice. Chinchou fits into this category as it easily takes special Ice- and Water- moves and helps Gligar by paralyzing potential counters. In return Gligar is immune to incoming Earth-moves aimed at Chinchou.</p>
<p>Snover is often one of the harder counters to Gligar if it can switch in on either Earth Quake or Aqua Tail. Many players have started using Munchlax to Pursuit or Fire Punch Snover and remove them to let Gligar sweep freely. If you are deathly afraid of Snover, another possibility is to use Bronzor who takes Ice Shards and even Wood Hammers like a champ and hits back with Flash Cannon or can lay Stealth Rock for Gligar. Bronzor, along with other Pokemon like Ledyba, can set up screens for Gligar allowing it to freely boost without worry. It will allow you to take priority hits much easier and often KO back many of Gligar's threats like Kabuto, Elekid, Buizel and Carvanha.</p>
<p>Other interesting partners include Houndour which enjoy taking W-o-W from Duskull or HP Ice attacks from Bronzor. He can switch in easily on both and quickly dispatch them with Dark Pulse and Pursuit in Duskull case and Fire Blast in Bronzor case. Along with this, Gligar covers Houndour Ground and Fighting weakness quiet nicely.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Gligar makes a fairly consistent Stealth Rock lead as well when combined with its top notch speed and the ability to run Taunt. You can also use U-Turn to break Focus Sash leads and Earthquake for a strong STAB to round out the set. Unfortunately, by using Gligar as a lead, you lose his capability for Offense.</p>
<p> Many people forget about Gligar's second typing, Flying, which gives him STAB on Aerial Ace which is a solid move. It hits Grass, Fighting, and Bug Pokemon nicely in Little Cup, however its often recommended to run Aqua Tail, Night Slash, or Stone Edge due to the larger coverage they often provide. The only time that Aerial Ace really makes sense is on the Sand Veil Abuse set to catch incoming Snover on the switch or if you are willing to run Substitute as well.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Gligar has a few solid counters in the Little Cup metagame, but often times checks and revenge killers are a better way of getting rid of the flying bat. Things like Scarf Chinchou, Scarf Mankey and Scarf Cranidos can all easily scare Gligar off with Water- and/or Ice- Attacks. Gligar also despises priority, especially from Water- and Ice- Moves. Pokemon like Snover can switch in on either Earthquake or Aqua Tail with general ease and threaten Gligar instantly with Ice Shard, OHKOing it without question. Other times, Water users like Kabuto, Carvanha, and Buizel will try to revenge and will force Gligar to switch out as they threaten to KO with STAB Aqua Jets which do 60-70%.</p>
<p>As far as counters go, Bronzor is probably the number one counter to Gligar. With its excellent physical bulk, it can take on Gligar like a champ. It's also immune to Earthquake, thanks to Levitate, and resists Stone Edge, Aerial Ace, and Quick Attack. However, if you plan on using Bronzor to take out Gligar, Hidden Power Ice is definitely recommended. You don't want Gligar to set up numerous Swords Dances against you.</p>
<p>Duskull is another wonderful counter to Gligar. It can switch right into Earthquake, as it has Levitate, and threaten Gligar with Will-O-Wisp or Ice Beam which will OHKO 100% of the time. Once Gligar is burned, it is way more easier to dispose of. However, be careful spamming Will-O-Wisp as many teams carry Houndour to get rid of Duskull. Also be warned that should Gligar get a Swords Dance and carries Night Slash or is using the LO set and you have ~70%, you are toast.</p>
<p>Ironically, Gligar is a counter to itself. It's great defenses and immunity to Earthquake lets it switch into Gligar a lot of times and can Roost off the damage should you run that move. Only Aqua Tail variants can threaten Gligar, but it's not an OHKO (unless you already have a Swords Dance under your belt).</p>
<p>Mantyke is immune to Earthquake and can absorb Aqua Tail for free HP recovery due to Water Absorb. Also, Mantyke has a good opportunity to set up Agility and destroy Gligar the next time it sees it. All Mantyke needs to watch out for is Stone Edge which will OHKO it.</p>
<p>Phanpy is capable of switching into Earthquake, thanks to its great physical bulk, and return with an easy 2HKO with priority Ice Shard. It could also take an Aqua Tail in case Gligar uses that.</p>
